Kiteboarding the Pyramids - Cairo, Egypt

[Wallaby Willy]

Hello my kiteboarding friends in the Tampa Bay area! Certainly miss riding with you guys. This is Bill Eastburn, the tennis coach. For those of you who don't know, I have "retired" from coaching on the professional tour and have accepted a position in Cairo Egypt, directing the largest most successful tennis academy in Africa. I started in mid-March, not long after I almost died on the backside of the SW when a bridle line snapped. I hope everyone is enjoying a windy spring and the seabreezes have been a blowin'. Looks like it's been pretty good for you boys. I miss being there, I can tell you that.

Anyway, for those of you who know your geography - and who know me! - I wouldn't have relocated here UNLESS I could ride. I am a 40 minute turbo-prop jet ride to the Red Sea, my new kiteboarding home. And f'ing WOW, what a new home! Google Earth and Google kiteboarding in "Hurghada" Egypt or "El Gouna" Egypt. Easily one of the premier flat water riding spots on earth. Picture East Beach on the best 18 to 25 knot day, WITH CRYSTAL CLEAR WARM WATER AND ABSOLUTE BUTTER SMOOTH AND BLUE SKIES WITHOUT A CLOUD IN THE SKY - and you are riding with three guys, no crowds. May to October, we get 18 to 25 knot seabreeze, daily, with not even a ripple. It has been explained to me that due to the saline content of the water - The Red Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water on earth - it is heavier and harder for the wind to pick it up and disturb it. It shows. It's sick.

No envision staying in a four to five star hotel on the beach for $35 to $65 a night, or the place of my choice, a place right on the beach connected to The El Gouna Kiteboarding Club called the Captains Inn. $18 a night for a nice clean room where I can roll out of bed and ride all day and then limp to the shower before going to the beach bar to scout the local talent and have a beer with some friends.

Standing offer is this boys - anyone that makes the trip here gets taken care of by me. I will cover all expenses upon arrival other than the airfare from Cairo to Hurghada (about $100 to $150 round trip). I will cover room and board. I have a sick place in Cairo now, as I live like a king with my salary in this economy. And, I have connections with all the best hotels due to my position at the academy and as a national here now as well. It's a direct flight from NYC to Cairo, about 10 hours. Get a JetBlue to JFK and then a flight to Cairo. A day travel for paradise on the Red Sea. Plus, we have some of the most spectacular sites in the world here with the Great Pyramids (which are basically outside the city and can been seen from where I live), The Spynx and Luxor among others. And, our windy time of year is during your NO WIND time of year, your summer. May to October. While you are bitching about heat, humidity and sub 10 knot days, I am tearing it up in a 25 knot sea breeze, flat water and about a handful of other guys in the water. Forgot to say that the water is wicked shallow, mostly over sand but over insanely beautiful reefs after about 200 meters out, where you never where booties and can ride out to deserted islands with water the color of something from a Willy Wonka movie.

I am on Skype at TourCoach. My email is bills10s@aol.com and my Cairo cell is +2018988502. Give me a call. Everyone from home is invited. You too Jeff (Rigger!). Skyway Scott needs air clearance to land at Cairo airport. Chase from USF is already taking me up on my offer, visiting from Israel where he will be this summer.

Hope everyone is well.

[Danimal8199]

Bill it sounds like you have a great setup over there! Hope you enjoy.

What are the conditions after october?

Fricking awesome Bill. Glad to hear it is going well.
I will be in touch.

In the meantime. Where the hell are the pics?

[Unimog Bob]

Hey Bill,
We all miss you too. Your calm attitude and professional demeanor always added to the scene. I'm glad to here you made another smooth landing.

You be careful over there checking out the local talent. The boys that follow Mohamed take great offense when infidels hit on their women. I'm sure you'll be discreet as always.

If the wife and my job hand me my walking papers for kiting too much, I'll be skyping you.

Bob

[bigairal]

bill, great to hear about egypt. i have been thru the suzez canal on ships a few times... you are right the water color even in the canal was gorgeous. anyway .i will be coming to visit you for sure. i think then i can make the jump from big air al to AL-KITE-AH official and finally kiteboard with my true brothers. all the best, allen

[Erick]

Hey mate! sounds like paradise ... great to hear from you again since i didn't know about your new job until recently. Your offer is very kind ... are you providing the girls too? ha

Erick

[skempthepimp]

Damn that sounds nice. As an avid diver and aquarist I can tell you the Red Sea is the place to be. Don't short yourself and miss out on that diving... it is some of the best in the world. If I get that hallpass from the wifey I will have a lot of gear to pack, that's for sure! Anyways glad to hear your back on the water and be safe over there.

[Kev]

That sounds amazing. I'd love to see some pictures too!

[Wallaby Willy]

Hey mates...Thanks for the posts! I can't tell you how much I miss living the easy life, being self employed in the states, living in the Bay area and then being able to kiteboard in a variety of spots within a half hour drive -and to top it off, being able to meet up with you boys at every riding spot around. We have a truly special area in the Bay area.

I begin my weekly pilgrimage(s) to El Gouna after next week when things settle down at the academy for me. As my gear is still in Randy's living room - and some in the shop with John still - I am "gearless" and rented the first trip I made to El Gouna. Randy has volunteered for me to buy him a round trip ticket to come visit me in order to bring my gear with him. One of you boys should join him.

Anyway, once I land in the area, I am looking to perhaps develop some time of kite business in El Gouna-Hurghada. Apparently, they get all their gear from Europe where the Euro is outrageous and the gear is more costly than in the states. Any ideas for import/export business between Cairo and Florida? As the kite school business in El Gouna is HUGE with the Europeans, the market is indeed there for something to be done. If anyone has any ideas, let me know. If nothing else, it would give someone an excuse to travel to The Red Sea and have their trips paid for by a cool running business.

I may have forgotten how to ride, it's been so long. 5 weeks out of the water blows. My gills have dried up.

And someone put PJ in touch with me - she is always up for a trip.